Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s long winless streak will reach its fourth full year if he doesn’t win Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

It’s been a long four years for Earnhardt, four years that couldn’t have been predicted after he won at Michigan in 2008 in just his 15th race with Hendrick Motorsports.

He has started 143 Cup races since that victory without being the first to take the checkered flag.

But there have been several near-wins. Here’s a look at seven races that Earnhardt came close to winning in the past four years:

September 7, 2008, Richmond

Earnhardt led 90 of the first 235 laps, including 24 laps after he pushed Kyle Busch out of the lead in what many believe was payback for their infamous run-in coming to the finish line in May of that year.

Earnhardt, who wrecked after Busch spun him in May, wound up finishing fourth in the fall race.

“(At the) start of the race, we were one of the best cars,” Earnhardt said. “We weren’t making any adjustments. … We were losing the racetrack a little bit and got tight.

“We just didn’t figure out what we needed to do at the end there to have a car to win the race.”

April 26, 2009, Talladega

Earnhardt almost won this race as the leaders crashed at the end with Brad Keselowski running into the back of Carl Edwards as Edwards tried to block him. While Edwards’ car was launched into the air and sailed into the catch fence, Earnhardt steered clear of the wreckage and finished second.

The only problem? Keselowski didn’t lose momentum and beat Earnhardt by 0.175 seconds. Earnhardt had led 20 laps.

“I was just glad to get a good finish,” Earnhardt said. “I was just concentrating on trying to win, what should I do, where should I be, but I didn't want to screw myself out of a good finish if that was all I was going to be dealt, and I got lucky and came home with some points.”

February 14, 2010, Daytona 500

Earnhardt passed nine cars in the final two laps during a green-white-checkered finish.

He needed to pass 10.

Leading only four laps all day, he certainly wasn’t destined to win the race — which was won by Jamie McMurray — but it would have been an incredible feat.

“I was just going wherever they weren't,” Earnhardt said. “I really don't enjoy being that aggressive.

“But if there was enough room for the radiator to fit, you just kind of held the gas down and prayed for the best. … I knew we were coming to the checkered, I was running second, this is awesome, but it kind of sucks at the same time.”

April 3, 2011, Martinsville

Earnhardt led only 17 laps but was in prime position to win. The only problem was that Kevin Harvick had a better car and was able to pass him for the lead with four laps remaining.

Settling for second, Earnhardt refused to bump Harvick out of the way just to get the win.

“I just tried to keep the nose in there without turning him sideways and allowing Kyle (Busch) to get into the mix,” Earnhardt said. “I don't know what I could have done different.”

May 29, 2011, Charlotte

Earnhardt didn’t really have a car to win the Coca-Cola 600, but this was a night when having enough fuel was more important.

Earnhardt thought he might have enough but then ran out on the backstretch on the final lap, helplessly watching Kevin Harvick win the race.

Earnhardt wound up seventh.

“This was probably, in all honesty, the best turn of events for us besides winning the race,” Earnhardt said.

“But it wasn't the car, we just ran out of gas. That is just the way it goes. We will keep working hard."

February 27, 2012, Daytona 500

This was another one of those restrictor-plate races where Earnhardt really wasn’t in a great position to win but finished second, leaving many to wonder that if he had made a different move in the final laps if he could have gotten the push to the win.

Not having led a lap all night, Earnhardt wasn’t too disappointed over his second-place finish as he tried to push Greg Biffle but they could never get hooked up to make a run at winner Matt Kenseth.

"I would have liked to have won, but I told Greg I was going to push him on that last restart,” Earnhardt said. “I pushed him. I thought he was waiting and waiting and waiting. It looked like he might have been trying to make a move on the back straightaway. But nothing materialized.”

June 10, 2012, Pocono

Earnhardt might have had the best car in the field, but he didn’t have the best strategy.

Crew chief Steve Letarte believed that Earnhardt didn’t have enough fuel to finish the race and called him to pit road on lap 139 of the 160-lap race while many of the leaders stayed out. With the lengthy cautions after that, Earnhardt could have made it on fuel and possibly won the race.

But Earnhardt, who led 36 laps, wouldn’t second-guess his crew chief.

“I don’t like running out of gas,” he said. “I ran out of gas here one year and that pisses me off so bad that it’s just hard to recover from it mentally in the next couple of weeks.

“There’s just no excuse in running out of gas. You put fuel in it and you go run.”